22 Nov 2018, 05:18
A Girl and The Letter
A girl of average height with brown hair in a plait down her back, pretty blue eyes, and a variation of pale skin sat in one of the windows of the owlery. Because there was no glass, she could remain as exposed to outside the tower as she wanted. If she was honest, she loved the feel of the wind on her face. Up here, there was bound to be wind every now and again, and although it could get a little chilly sometimes in the room, she didn't mind it. A strand of hair blew loose from her plait and waved gently in the wind. Ruby smiled softly as she looked out at the grounds. Even when sitting down, although she didn't know it, she gave off an aura of confidence and intelligence. There was something compelling about her that made her nearly impossible to be ignored.
She had come here today for the purpose of seeing the owls and being alone in the tower, but also because today she had a letter to post. The aforementioned letter was folded away into her robes. Ruby, for that was the girl's name, had come here straight after classes ended without bothering to change, so she was still in her Slytherin robes. One of the school's owls that seemed to have taken a liking to her flew over. Ruby fed it a treat and let it perch beside her for a moment. Both owl and human seemed perfectly content to just sit there, but Ruby was reminded once more of the letter she had to post.
She removed the envelope from her robes, careful not to let go, as it could be blown away easily in these conditions. Ruby's hand shook slightly as she tied the letter to the owl's leg. Very uncharacteristic of her. Even though it was hardly noticeable and could be interpreted as a response because of the wind, or maybe a response to the owl's presence, she made a mental note to get that under control. Shaking hands could not be allowed.
Ruby made sure the owl was out of her sight before she let herself think about the letter. She had started to get letters from her parents weeks ago, and they were getting more and more annoyed and nervous with her lack of a letter back. Truth be told, Ruby had been putting off the task for a long time now. She was well aware her parents wanted to know her house and wanted an update on everything, but she was only responding because of their threat to send a Howler for their next letter if she didn't respond. Her parents would not approve of her being a Slytherin. Although, in their minds, she would ideally be a Gryffindor, they were content to settle for any of the houses except for Slytherin. Ruby's fists clenched. Her parents rarely had time for her in the eleven years she had been with them, but now that she was at Hogwarts, that meant that they suddenly could pester her with letters? Ruby's parents had never really made sense to her, but she had to stop delaying her response. Better to be responded to with a Howler and have it be done with. That was the best-case scenario. She didn't allow herself to think of the worst one.
She had come here today for the purpose of seeing the owls and being alone in the tower, but also because today she had a letter to post. The aforementioned letter was folded away into her robes. Ruby, for that was the girl's name, had come here straight after classes ended without bothering to change, so she was still in her Slytherin robes. One of the school's owls that seemed to have taken a liking to her flew over. Ruby fed it a treat and let it perch beside her for a moment. Both owl and human seemed perfectly content to just sit there, but Ruby was reminded once more of the letter she had to post.
She removed the envelope from her robes, careful not to let go, as it could be blown away easily in these conditions. Ruby's hand shook slightly as she tied the letter to the owl's leg. Very uncharacteristic of her. Even though it was hardly noticeable and could be interpreted as a response because of the wind, or maybe a response to the owl's presence, she made a mental note to get that under control. Shaking hands could not be allowed.
Ruby made sure the owl was out of her sight before she let herself think about the letter. She had started to get letters from her parents weeks ago, and they were getting more and more annoyed and nervous with her lack of a letter back. Truth be told, Ruby had been putting off the task for a long time now. She was well aware her parents wanted to know her house and wanted an update on everything, but she was only responding because of their threat to send a Howler for their next letter if she didn't respond. Her parents would not approve of her being a Slytherin. Although, in their minds, she would ideally be a Gryffindor, they were content to settle for any of the houses except for Slytherin. Ruby's fists clenched. Her parents rarely had time for her in the eleven years she had been with them, but now that she was at Hogwarts, that meant that they suddenly could pester her with letters? Ruby's parents had never really made sense to her, but she had to stop delaying her response. Better to be responded to with a Howler and have it be done with. That was the best-case scenario. She didn't allow herself to think of the worst one.
Last edited by Ruby Cazares on 24 Nov 2018, 20:08, edited 2 times in total.
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
22 Nov 2018, 07:29
A Girl and The Letter
Henry was at the owlery basically every day, always having a new letter to post, more information to tell his family.
This time, he made his entrance by accidentally tripping on the step into the place. He stumbled, tripping over his own feet momentarily as he tried to regain his bearings before he managed to put a hand on the wall to steady himself. Straightening up, the placid boy's have dusty pink cheeks due to the shock and embarrassment of falling up the stairs. This deepened further as he saw he wasn't alone up here.
Deciding to just go about his business to let his heart calm down, he'd walk to the owl that had started hooting as he walked through the door. This was his owl, Orla, and she was a present to him by his family when they found out about Hogwarts. They knew communication would be important and so scraped together to get him one. Orla was an average size owl, not that he knew what type, and she was black with a few ginger and white patches.
Attaching two letters to her ankle, he gently stroked her head before pulling out some treats from his pocket and holding them out for her to take.
After the owl had flown away, he'd glance back to the female, unsure of what to do.
This time, he made his entrance by accidentally tripping on the step into the place. He stumbled, tripping over his own feet momentarily as he tried to regain his bearings before he managed to put a hand on the wall to steady himself. Straightening up, the placid boy's have dusty pink cheeks due to the shock and embarrassment of falling up the stairs. This deepened further as he saw he wasn't alone up here.
Deciding to just go about his business to let his heart calm down, he'd walk to the owl that had started hooting as he walked through the door. This was his owl, Orla, and she was a present to him by his family when they found out about Hogwarts. They knew communication would be important and so scraped together to get him one. Orla was an average size owl, not that he knew what type, and she was black with a few ginger and white patches.
Attaching two letters to her ankle, he gently stroked her head before pulling out some treats from his pocket and holding them out for her to take.
After the owl had flown away, he'd glance back to the female, unsure of what to do.
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf.
22 Nov 2018, 08:01
A Girl and The Letter
Ruby had noticed the boy enter. A bit clumsy, she thought, since he tripped on the step even though he seemed to be familiar with the place. This was confirmed when he went over to a specific owl, gave it two letters, and let it fly away after giving it treats. The simple fact that the owl had two letters tied to its legs showed that the boy had someone notable to him or multiple contacts outside of Hogwarts that he deemed worthy of owling.
When the boy looked back at her after the owl left, she decided to speak. "Hello," she began, keeping her tone casual with the purpose of relaxing him a bit, "I'm Ruby, who are you?"
Simple questions, simple, normal statements. How to start a conversation with someone you don't know in school. Yes, it was basic, but Ruby wanted this boy to be at ease, at least for now. He seemed like the type of person who would run away scared if she just maintained a cold exterior and possibly revealed some of her observations.
She ignored the breeze and the view for a while and focused on him, deciding not to mention him tripping at all. "Do you come here often?"
When the boy looked back at her after the owl left, she decided to speak. "Hello," she began, keeping her tone casual with the purpose of relaxing him a bit, "I'm Ruby, who are you?"
Simple questions, simple, normal statements. How to start a conversation with someone you don't know in school. Yes, it was basic, but Ruby wanted this boy to be at ease, at least for now. He seemed like the type of person who would run away scared if she just maintained a cold exterior and possibly revealed some of her observations.
She ignored the breeze and the view for a while and focused on him, deciding not to mention him tripping at all. "Do you come here often?"
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
22 Nov 2018, 08:26
A Girl and The Letter
Henry'd look the girl up and down, quickly figuring out that she was the same year as him which for some reason really helped. If they're the same age, they should be able to communicate better, right?
His eyes lingered on the green robes, the word 'Slytherin' popping into his head. Henry himself wasn't entirely pleased with the fact that Hogwarts basically ostracises a house purely because of the past. This girl seemed nice, she even started the conversation. He's heard whispers in the hallways whenever slytherins walk by, those in his dorm always talk about them as if they're below the Ravenclaws. For a house known for their intellect, Henry thought they should know better and not play into such stereotypes.
For one, he was greatful his stumble hadn't been verbally noticed. Henry was clumsy, which was quite strange considering he was quite a good dancer and on the cheer squad here at Hogwarts. He supposed that was when he knew what he was doing- he was sure that step hadn't been there before.
Pulling himself out of his always rapidly flying thoughts, the corners of Henry's mouth twitches up into a small smile. His dimples barely showed and his cheeks had lost the bright hue of embarrassment as he replied softly.
"Hello Ruby. I'm Henry. I always liked the name Ruby, you're named after a really beautiful gem, y'know. I do come here often, yeah. My family are, uh, keen on keeping in touch and I'm more than happy to send them a letter every day if they want it. First time I've been away, see. My siblings are threatening to somehow break into Hogwarts since I missed a letter the other day.. which would be impossible because muggles can't actually see Hogwarts- they just see an abandoned building..but yeah. You?"
He'd end his nervous rambling with a question, since that was how conversations keep going.
His eyes lingered on the green robes, the word 'Slytherin' popping into his head. Henry himself wasn't entirely pleased with the fact that Hogwarts basically ostracises a house purely because of the past. This girl seemed nice, she even started the conversation. He's heard whispers in the hallways whenever slytherins walk by, those in his dorm always talk about them as if they're below the Ravenclaws. For a house known for their intellect, Henry thought they should know better and not play into such stereotypes.
For one, he was greatful his stumble hadn't been verbally noticed. Henry was clumsy, which was quite strange considering he was quite a good dancer and on the cheer squad here at Hogwarts. He supposed that was when he knew what he was doing- he was sure that step hadn't been there before.
Pulling himself out of his always rapidly flying thoughts, the corners of Henry's mouth twitches up into a small smile. His dimples barely showed and his cheeks had lost the bright hue of embarrassment as he replied softly.
"Hello Ruby. I'm Henry. I always liked the name Ruby, you're named after a really beautiful gem, y'know. I do come here often, yeah. My family are, uh, keen on keeping in touch and I'm more than happy to send them a letter every day if they want it. First time I've been away, see. My siblings are threatening to somehow break into Hogwarts since I missed a letter the other day.. which would be impossible because muggles can't actually see Hogwarts- they just see an abandoned building..but yeah. You?"
He'd end his nervous rambling with a question, since that was how conversations keep going.
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf.
22 Nov 2018, 08:53
A Girl and The Letter
Ruby smiled at Henry's response. He was cute in the actual sense of the word, cute in the way that 11 year old children stumbling over their words could be. He might be a decent ally, and if not for that purpose, then he seemed decent to have around. With all Ruby's distrust and dislike, her analyzing and her calculating, sometimes she just needed friends and to relax.
She had already figured out that he was the same age as her, and a Ravenclaw on top of that. Good. That helps. Maybe he has decent enough brains for me to like him and for us to hold a conversation without me getting bored. Intellectual challenges were always a good thing, and Ruby found that she generally liked intelligent people a lot more than others.
She laughed at what he said in a friendly way, not an unkind way whatsoever. "Thanks. I also like the gem I'm named after. I think I have a necklace or a bracelet with a ruby embedded in it in my room. I totally understand about the parents. Mine have been sending me so many letters asking lots of questions… have you told your siblings that they'll only be able to see the abandoned building and the "keep away" sign or whatever it says? In response to your question, I come here quite often, but to sit in the window and visit the owls. I like animals and nature. Do you? What do you like?"
She had already figured out that he was the same age as her, and a Ravenclaw on top of that. Good. That helps. Maybe he has decent enough brains for me to like him and for us to hold a conversation without me getting bored. Intellectual challenges were always a good thing, and Ruby found that she generally liked intelligent people a lot more than others.
She laughed at what he said in a friendly way, not an unkind way whatsoever. "Thanks. I also like the gem I'm named after. I think I have a necklace or a bracelet with a ruby embedded in it in my room. I totally understand about the parents. Mine have been sending me so many letters asking lots of questions… have you told your siblings that they'll only be able to see the abandoned building and the "keep away" sign or whatever it says? In response to your question, I come here quite often, but to sit in the window and visit the owls. I like animals and nature. Do you? What do you like?"
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
22 Nov 2018, 11:20
A Girl and The Letter
Henry leant against the wall, whistling at one of the owls that flew over to a perch near him. He scratched it under the chin, before giving them a treat to stop them hooting.
Henry had sandy blonde hair, grey eyes and pale skin. He was really thin but hadn't yet hit his growth spurt so his height matched quite well. His smile grew at her laugh, he was afraid he might have said something wrong for a moment.
"Did you know Rubies symbolize power and protection. When worn as a tailsman, like your bracelet, ruby was believed to help protect warriors in battle. One more modern allusion to this legend is in The Wizard of Oz. Dorthy's ruby slippers were thought to protect her from evil. And then in ancient folklore, those in India believed that rubies helped to be at peace with their enemies. Overall, it's a rather special stone to be named after."
He'd be looking at the owl whilst he spoke, seemingly on autopilot and talking as if he was reading from a book. Once he stopped, he gave her a sheepish smile and actually answered her questions.
"I haven't actually, I like laughing at their plans to leave the house without my stepmother knowing. She has a sixth sense and my siblings aren't the quietest. I like a lot of things, I suppose. whatever I can learn about, really. We have two German Shepards at home so for animals, yes. I'm currently looking at divination, since it seems so illogical yet apparently there's a science to it. Even though we can't do it yet. Do you have any siblings?"
Henry had sandy blonde hair, grey eyes and pale skin. He was really thin but hadn't yet hit his growth spurt so his height matched quite well. His smile grew at her laugh, he was afraid he might have said something wrong for a moment.
"Did you know Rubies symbolize power and protection. When worn as a tailsman, like your bracelet, ruby was believed to help protect warriors in battle. One more modern allusion to this legend is in The Wizard of Oz. Dorthy's ruby slippers were thought to protect her from evil. And then in ancient folklore, those in India believed that rubies helped to be at peace with their enemies. Overall, it's a rather special stone to be named after."
He'd be looking at the owl whilst he spoke, seemingly on autopilot and talking as if he was reading from a book. Once he stopped, he gave her a sheepish smile and actually answered her questions.
"I haven't actually, I like laughing at their plans to leave the house without my stepmother knowing. She has a sixth sense and my siblings aren't the quietest. I like a lot of things, I suppose. whatever I can learn about, really. We have two German Shepards at home so for animals, yes. I'm currently looking at divination, since it seems so illogical yet apparently there's a science to it. Even though we can't do it yet. Do you have any siblings?"
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf.
22 Nov 2018, 15:38
A Girl and The Letter
Ruby looked at him. He definitely seemed intelligent enough now that he spoke some more, and she was starting to warm up to him a bit. Surely she could have some casual friends in other houses, just to relax a bit…
"I did some research of my own on the ruby when I was little… I did know most of that and I think it's a mostly fitting name." Power and protection. Protection for few, yes, but it certainly worked for her.
"Is your stepmother kind?" she began by asking. "How many siblings do you have? I like to learn too, information and knowledge are very important. I agree with what you said about divination: it's certainly a curious thing that doesn't appear to make sense, but maybe there's truth behind it and some… technique, I suppose. I don't actually have siblings, but I'm so close to three of my cousins that they're basically older brothers to me. I grew up around them and they're here at Hogwarts too. They're two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw, and they're pretty great."
Ruby noted the fact that he had mentioned a stepmother, which probably meant that his mother died and was replaced, his parents divorced and his dad remarried, or that he had two mothers or something. Interesting, how many possibilities came from just having a stepmother.
"I did some research of my own on the ruby when I was little… I did know most of that and I think it's a mostly fitting name." Power and protection. Protection for few, yes, but it certainly worked for her.
"Is your stepmother kind?" she began by asking. "How many siblings do you have? I like to learn too, information and knowledge are very important. I agree with what you said about divination: it's certainly a curious thing that doesn't appear to make sense, but maybe there's truth behind it and some… technique, I suppose. I don't actually have siblings, but I'm so close to three of my cousins that they're basically older brothers to me. I grew up around them and they're here at Hogwarts too. They're two Gryffindors and a Ravenclaw, and they're pretty great."
Ruby noted the fact that he had mentioned a stepmother, which probably meant that his mother died and was replaced, his parents divorced and his dad remarried, or that he had two mothers or something. Interesting, how many possibilities came from just having a stepmother.
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
22 Nov 2018, 20:35
A Girl and The Letter
Henry'd nod a few times, his gaze bouncing between the owl and Ruby.
"Fern, my stepmother, is quite nice. She's not the best with kids but she's always more lenient with bedtimes and rules about chores." He'd snicker at a specific memory of his dad and his three oldest siblings arguing about curfew for hours. Tears and threats were screamed about the house for what seemed like days until Fern stepped in to tell their dad to go easier on them and the next thing they knew, their curfew was up by an hour and a half. Henry's dad really was a sucker for Fern.
"I have eight siblings, so nine of us in total ranging from nineteen to five. I'm the middle child, luckily enough. We live in a two bedroomed apartment too which can have its troubles." He'd chuckle, since their night time consisted of kids just finding a space to sleep. They're supposed to have the plans of the boys in one room and girls in the master bedroom whilst the parents slept on the pull out couch but really, a sleeping child could be anywhere you look whether it be in the bathtub or in a corner somewhere. Sometimes they even all piled in together.
"Do you wish you had siblings, or at least a female cousin? I know older brothers can be quite annoying. What's the Ravenclaws name and age? I might know him. It's great that you're a knowledge-gainer! I think it's important to know as many things as possible to get about in the world, so you're always prepared. What's your favourite subject?"
"Fern, my stepmother, is quite nice. She's not the best with kids but she's always more lenient with bedtimes and rules about chores." He'd snicker at a specific memory of his dad and his three oldest siblings arguing about curfew for hours. Tears and threats were screamed about the house for what seemed like days until Fern stepped in to tell their dad to go easier on them and the next thing they knew, their curfew was up by an hour and a half. Henry's dad really was a sucker for Fern.
"I have eight siblings, so nine of us in total ranging from nineteen to five. I'm the middle child, luckily enough. We live in a two bedroomed apartment too which can have its troubles." He'd chuckle, since their night time consisted of kids just finding a space to sleep. They're supposed to have the plans of the boys in one room and girls in the master bedroom whilst the parents slept on the pull out couch but really, a sleeping child could be anywhere you look whether it be in the bathtub or in a corner somewhere. Sometimes they even all piled in together.
"Do you wish you had siblings, or at least a female cousin? I know older brothers can be quite annoying. What's the Ravenclaws name and age? I might know him. It's great that you're a knowledge-gainer! I think it's important to know as many things as possible to get about in the world, so you're always prepared. What's your favourite subject?"
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf.
22 Nov 2018, 23:05
A Girl and The Letter
Reducio
First of all: this is OOC, obviously, but I don't really have names for Ruby's cousins yet, and the Ravenclaw would be in either year 3, 4, or 5, I'm not sure which yet as I haven't decided on his age. Basically, I can't really answer questions about him as of right now, sorry.
Ruby nodded in the direction of the owl. "Are you familiar with that owl?" she asked, noticing his interactions with it and the glances he gave it.
Ruby was also starting to warm up to Henry a little bit more now since he seemed less clumsy and nervous and more sure of himself. She liked people with knowledge and stories to tell. "Fern sounds pretty nice," she said, smiling, "That's also a lot of siblings to deal with. Are you close and friendly with each other? The age range is fairly wide… I can't imagine what it's like to have eight siblings, especially with only two bedrooms in an apartment! It must be so cramped…"
"I don't really, no. I've grown up with boys, so I'm used to them and not bothered by the fact that they're "of the other gender". I'm comfortable around males, and some females are just too… I don't know how to describe it… obsessed with stupid things, like love interests, makeup, and other things. I have a couple of female cousins, but I don't see them nearly as often as those three males. I've wished for the company and closeness of a sibling before, but that was before my cousins started really treating me as a sister. They were around so often that they feel like brothers to me, and sometimes we call each other our siblings. We don't look dissimilar either, and we've tricked people into thinking that we're all siblings before. They are my siblings in a way, and we've spent lots of time together. Sometimes they're a little annoying, as anyone can be sometimes, but I still love them." Ruby was honestly a bit surprised with how much she was telling Henry, but he seemed fine enough, and she didn't particularly care if everyone knew that information.
"I totally agree that it's important to know as much as possible. It can definitely come in handy in the real world. I don't really have a favorite subject, that's so hard to choose. As long as I'm learning something, I'm generally not bored, and those two lead me to probably like it. It's nice to find other people who care about knowledge."
Stamina: 10 | Evasion: 14 | Strength: 5 | Wisdom: 17 | ArcPower: 12 | Accuracy: 17
Perfectionist I & II, Fearless, Spell Spread, Nonverbal Magic
iNPC Vyacheslav Aleksandrovich Preobrazhensky
23 Nov 2018, 08:21
A Girl and The Letter
The owl in question was softly hooting as it leaned into Henry's hand that was gently rubbing the side of its face. He shook his head as he looked fondly at the animal. "No, not really. My Orla is quite a friendly owl so I suppose when they see that I treat her as an equal rather than as an animal, they feel comfortable enough to do this. Besides, study's show that animals can help lower certain hormones in the body and release others, like seretonin that increases your mood. I have a theory that, that's why it's always been a fact about witches for centuries that they have a familiar. The wizarding world is confusing and overwhelming, surely having a cat or an owl with you will help. Even if familiars are just goblins that have transformed into an animal to better serve their wizard- if what I read is correct. I'm not sure."
He'd be doing that regurgitating thing again, talking fast and not stopping to actually think about what he's saying. Once his little rant was over, he'd glance up at Ruby and give her a small smile before now directing his comments to hers.
"I am close to my siblings, I suppose. We just figure that there's harder things in life to go through than also having a fight with your sibling on the side, especially since we live so close together. There's six girls so sometimes they'll get into spats about makeup or clothes or whatever, but it helps that Marley, my eldest sister, isn't too bothered about that stuff and is a great mediator between them. Plus, when Fern and my dad go off on their random, spontaneous holidays, we have to all work together to get everyone ready for school, fed, house cleaned, etc. We work well together. It is cramped, I suppose. But it's bigger than my last apartment so we can't really complain. The little kids sort of just drop anywhere whilst we'll just claim a piece of furniture. My brother even slept in the bath once! Until my sister turned the shower on to annoy him. Turned into a waterfight, that did." He'd chuckle to himself, his eyes wider as he told the little story excitedly.
"It's good that you have your cousins, someone to talk to and stuff. I'm the same a lot with the knowledge thing, I tend to bounce around from subject to subject depending on when I find it interesting. Sorry, that was a lot of rambling."
He'd be doing that regurgitating thing again, talking fast and not stopping to actually think about what he's saying. Once his little rant was over, he'd glance up at Ruby and give her a small smile before now directing his comments to hers.
"I am close to my siblings, I suppose. We just figure that there's harder things in life to go through than also having a fight with your sibling on the side, especially since we live so close together. There's six girls so sometimes they'll get into spats about makeup or clothes or whatever, but it helps that Marley, my eldest sister, isn't too bothered about that stuff and is a great mediator between them. Plus, when Fern and my dad go off on their random, spontaneous holidays, we have to all work together to get everyone ready for school, fed, house cleaned, etc. We work well together. It is cramped, I suppose. But it's bigger than my last apartment so we can't really complain. The little kids sort of just drop anywhere whilst we'll just claim a piece of furniture. My brother even slept in the bath once! Until my sister turned the shower on to annoy him. Turned into a waterfight, that did." He'd chuckle to himself, his eyes wider as he told the little story excitedly.
"It's good that you have your cousins, someone to talk to and stuff. I'm the same a lot with the knowledge thing, I tend to bounce around from subject to subject depending on when I find it interesting. Sorry, that was a lot of rambling."
You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf.